Effectively Using Video for a Local Campaign

Here are a few ways for your local campaign to get the most out of online video.

If you have campaign ads, create a YouTube channel to host them. From your profile you can get a link back to your website, and YouTube makes it easy to link and share videos. Even audio ads can be converted to video form. Just use the candidate’s photo while the audio is playing.

If you have local meetings recorded, a page can be created on YouTube to host them. It’s better to have a separate channel just for these types of meeting, rather than putting them into your campaign channel.

People, especially YouTube video watchers, have short attention spans. One way to point out events that you want the viewer to notice is to put the video on your web page and under it, list the various points you want to make and the time in the video corresponding to the event.

For example:

Check out this video of incumbent Joe at a board meeting on 12/15:

1:35 – Watch of Joe ignores the taxpayer’s question about the local tax rate.

2:47 - Joe votes to close the public comment.

4:35 - Joe doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘fiduciary’.

5:10 - Joe votes for the issue, despite having spoken out about it publicly…

You get the idea. Take the viewer’s hand and guide them through the points you want to make. Sure, they may be biased, but by showing a complete video, you’re not hiding anything and only adds to your credibility.

Almost anything and everything is recorded these days. During 2006 United States Senate election in Virginia the Republican incumbent, George Allen, was recorded on video using a racial slur. The controversy created by Allen’s use of the slur is seen to have cost him his re-election bid.

The use of technology cuts both ways!

For less than the cost of a mailing, any local candidate can build a complete campaign website! Online Candidate campaign websites contain easy to updates pages, email lists, social networking links and more.

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